SAS has developed the Fraud Management system, code-named Raptor by HSBC, in partnership with the global bank. The system is in operation in the US, and benefits have already been seen in the short time it has been in place. There has been an 87% increase in the number of data items processed, with a corresponding reduction of 12% in the mainframe processing overhead. This has resulted in a 53% decrease in the mainframe processing cost for each data item, according to HSBC and SAS. The new system has also achieved a 30% decrease in the computing resource cost of processing card transactions flagged as potentially fraudulent, and a 10% increase in efficiency by agents investigating potentially fraudulent cases, when compared to the proprietary case management system. The replacement of the three previous software applications has also helped to reduce IT support costs.

One of the most exciting aspects of the enhanced analytics used in this system is its potential to expand to all payment methods, including internet, phone and mobile phone banking. Also, because the system allows the bank to build up a better, more complete picture of the customer, it also has the potential to be used as an accurate and efficient marketing tool. This added benefit is likely to appeal to banks that are eager to leverage benefit from compliance-led initiatives such as fraud prevention.

Derek Wylde, head of group fraud risk at HSBC, says: "Our success with this partnership and with SAS Fraud Management shows that SAS understands and shares in HSBC’s long-term goals and can work with us to deliver improved solutions. In a constantly changing fraud environment, SAS technology helps us keep ahead of criminals. We believe the SAS solution takes us a significant way forward in our fight against fraud."

"SAS is proud to have produced, alongside HSBC, a system that will truly change the landscape of transaction fraud detection across the financial services industry," says Jim Goodnight, CEO of SAS.

"SAS Fraud Management enables banks to continually adapt to the ever-changing fraud situation in order to improve the protection of banks, businesses, and customers. This system could revolutionise how the industry tackles fraud now and in the future."

SAS Fraud Management has been adopted as the exclusive transaction fraud solution across HSBC’s US credit card operations. It is now being implemented in the UK and Asia.

A quant at Citi has revived debate about the changing nature of the profession (www.risk.net/2417747). The scope is narrower, he claims; the job has been dumbed down, and today's quants are little more than programmers. Is he right?